After work today I decided to go off by myself for a little while and unwind a little. My favorite fishing hole on the river near my house seemed to be calling my name…so that’s exactly where I went. One rod an reel and some live night crawlers in hand and I was set for at least a couple of hours anyway. With all the rain we had today and the river rising I thought surely I could catch me a couple of catfish for supper…but unfortunately the catfish had other plans.
Well any trip to the river for me isn’t always about how many fish I can catch. The river is like a live show that you don’t need a ticket to see. Wildlife abounds and is visible in every direction. Schools of minnows often remind me of synchronized swimmers, darting to and fro and jumping out of the water all in unison. I can only imagine what was chasing them from below…five pound bass maybe.
I watched a beaver swimming along dragging a branch…where he actually took it I couldn’t tell you. In a little while he came back and a little ways up river from me he climbed out and disappeared into the bushes, I’m sure he was off to cut himself another. A small turtle popped his head up right in front of me just long enough to see me and grab a breath of air before he dived back out of sight. I understand why turtles have been around so long…they are very cautious creatures.
As all this was happening around me I had the pleasure of the river music in the background. The shoals below me always have a little roar to them and the insects behind me in the woods were also busy singing their songs and doing their things, you know…bug things. With exception of the turtle the wilderness around me took no notice of me and carried on their day as if I wasn’t even there. To me this evening was a success even without catching a fish. I took a little time to relax and wind down and that’s exactly what I did…you should try it sometime.
